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On the subject of words.

It has recently been brought up that certain words here, in this case "Retarded" should be considered as offensive. Within the context it was used I see no problem. Were it to have been used as a personal attack against say, someone who was disabled, I would be the first to take issue with it.

What fascinates me and, by fascinate, I mean “irritates” me are claims that certain words and their use, by themselves, corrupt, degrade or otherwise harm individuals or their ethics. How? There has been no evidence that specific words corrupt or harm. And we should take any kind of restriction on speech seriously and when words are restricted, we cannot afford to be idle. After all, ideas are usually packaged in words; in ink, sounds, and pixels. Thus to restrict certain words is to deny the transmission of ideas, due to some contrived compliance with others comfort and the status quo.

This is not to say there arent words that are demeaning, derogatory and have no place in civil conversation. Such should be considered offensive. BUT...when culture allows for their use in music, television or every day conversation banning them gives them a power they should not possess. If black Americans can use the "N" word (see, I'm self editing) in all such mediums they remove the power of hate instilled into that word. It becomes a "Second nature term." But declaring that if WE use it its racist, harmful or derogatory they seek to give, what to them is a nothing word...a power it neither deserves nor should be imbibed with. Its that simple.

We convince others through words. By banning certain ones, we are allowing someone or some group the authority to empty our quiver as they see fit, when we are using it directly to defend ourselves and our individual liberty. Cutting out words is the very thing that would undermine our ability to communicate with each other. Thus, undermining free speech and the free exchange of ideas. The mechanism to aid us and to counter words we dislike is not jail, but discussion. Words have power - but silence is not the answer to undermine or overcome that power, if we disagree with what that power does.

MADcHATTER 7 Mar 29
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15 comments

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0

The timing on my Audi is set at 5 degrees retarded for the cheaper 95 octane petrol as it's lead free

0

Offensive words are still free speech. We don't have a right to not be offended so deal with it.

0

Words only have meaning as given to them by people. If I insult someone it the words i use might be held against me. But in any other conversation when i say something and you change the meaning then choose to take offense that's on you.

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I think retard is a very powerful word if used in the right context If you were to use it on someone who is retarded to demean their handicap i think that would be wrong In most applications
it is well understood and descriptive

2

That's silly. (or perhaps retarded) In talking about car engine timing the word is beyond acceptable. It is also retarded in the sense of history that it's a word that once was fine to use. It simply meant (in the use you suggest is offensive ) exactly what disabled means today. I feel the community should only disagree with extremely offensive speech. There should be mechanisms to dissuade bad behaviour on a site such as this, but not the Twitter model to suddenly banish people without notice or strong reason. Anything else is retarded because it retards to an outdated model of speech.

0

In today’s world, words are being weaponized against us!

0

I'm thinking that the euphanism "Differently Abled" does seem to have a measure of perhaps hope stirred into it.

Not so with the blunt and perhaps pejorative "Retarded"

Besides "Retarded" I've heard used to put down a sibling

0

Certain words are "offensive" and can't be said leads to certain ideas are "offensive" and can't be said, and at some point people are not allowed to believe something because somebody else doesn't like it. It's the ultimate flanking of rational discussion and debate.

When people present inferior speech or values through their words, it gives the rest of us an opportunity to convince them with superior speech. If they are to remain silent, we'll never know who could use our persuasion.

1

The problem as I see it is that somewhere along the way we allowed certain self identified victim groups to define that which is offensive speech and to then conflate that speech with actual harm and violence. Speech codes whether actually codified or tacitly enforced are put into place by people who seem to think their own sensibilities are of a higher order of importance than the utterly necessary ability for everyone and anyone to speak their own minds. This kind of thinking is born out of intellectual laziness and immaturity. Rather than to challenge certain ideas with ones own counterpoints - rather than fight bad words with better words - the lazy and immature victimized souls demand blanket restrictive codes on words and ideas they personally dislike for whatever reasons. With such codes in place they no longer have to reason for themselves nor do they have to formulate coherent arguments with which to challenge ideas they dislike.

3

Yes... you speak to the crux of the matter. Whoever has the power to prescribe and proscribe words, to edit the language controls our ability to communicate. Now we are precipitously close to a society that will declare "speech crime."
I don't necessarily think that "thought crime" is the next step.
Rather the proponents of politically correct speech are conditioning people in a reverse Pavlovian manner to have an aversion to certain words, even within their thoughts.
They're encouraging others to find offense in previously innocuous words or things. It's like the opposite of the Reader's Digest Improve Your Word Power...

With that said there are certain hurtful words I won't use because of the pain instilled in them. But I'm fine with self-censorship in such instance. But there's a big difference between words you shouldn't say and words that you are not allowed to say.

The intent of this politically correct thing is Redaction of the Language, first vocal then sub-vocal.
And it's not a slippery slope... it's a slimy slope.

0

I agree with the premise you present...

1

There are no "offensive" words. There may be offensive intentions in using them, but the word itself is not.

3

Well, I can see both sides now, as Joni Mitchel sang, god, give my age away. A retard is someone who's IQ is less than 84. the low end or the first standard deviation. Yes, I have a degree in psychology and have studied the literature on IQ. Frankly, someone who is retarded, meaning in the original term, having almost no intellectual development and is almost impossible to teach a very simple routine task, retarded intellectual development is an apt term. Now, as to using the term retarded as a perjorative, well polite society makes their point that such usage is crass. I will accept such a judgment. Civility will be observed. Labeling your intellectually chall anged opponent as a retard is not so much a slur against the intellectually impaired and it is the lack of acceptability of the correct noun, stupid. Stupid has many meanings but in the context in question, as the friendly drill sergeant would say, means the inability to learn form one's mistakes or the simple inability to learn, period. Thus, calling one's opponent or object of interest stupid to to call into question the fitness of said individual to exist in normal society without constant direct supervision. I hope that clears the air.

@ViviMack Not that I'm especially well versed in etymology, but the word retard has many other uses within the language. Some things are designated as flame retardants. (If only they served the other connotation then we muffle those individuals who are flaming stupid. )
I just tried to Google other uses of the word... and all I get is pages dedicated to banning the word.... so I'll stick to those scan instances that come to mind.
Tardy means late... retarded can also mean late, or held back as to time or development.

@MADcHATTER In the novel Forest Gump (rather than the movie) Gump has to write an essay for English Comp 101. In it he states something to the effect of "I am an imbecile. One day I hope to be a moron." The English professor gushes over the paper, praising the fresh creative approach to the essay... until she learns that he is being literal, referring to ranges on the IQ scale.

3

Something can be retarded, without someone being a retard. There's a difference for a reason. One's a horribly thought out plan, action or stance on something. The other suffers from the cruelties of life normally beyond their control.

If they can't tell the difference... They probably aughta level up their thinking and get over petty garbage.

0

Well said, MC!

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